TODAY1)Icebreaker2)For the good of the order: knowing when to

retreat/re-work3)Reminders of what’s coming up soon4)The Subtle Art of Peer Workshopping5)Practice shots at CCM readings6)Workshop7)Homework

ICEBREAKERAnother quick/easy icebreaker for today. Similar to the question about music last week, today I’d like you to say your name and tell us two things: your favorite TV show right now and your favorite TV show that is no longer on (or from when you were a kid that you no longer watch).

My answers:

ANNOUNCEMENTS1)The blogroll on the site is up-to-date, so if

you don’t see your name, I still need your Tumblr address.

2)As much as I hate to retreat, I think we need a Twitter exit strategy. I started out last night trying to make a class list since the hashtag wasn’t working, but several of you aren’t coming up in search when I input the user IDs you emailed me. I am unsure why Twitter isn’t cooperating, but it’s time to stop wasting energy on it. If you want to keep following me, I will post class announcements there.

INSTEAD OF TWEETINGStarting next week, instead of Tweeting on Tuesday, I’d like you to utilize the “ask me” function on my Tumblr.

It’s here:

I will remind all of youon Tuesday.

ANNOUNCEMENTSRemember as well that your Inquiry One projects are due a week from today, on September 6th.

In class on the 6th, we will write up your writer’s reflective memos and I will show you how/where to upload your work on Niihka.

MAKE SURE YOU BRING YOUR LAPTOP AND YOUR PROJECT IN A FILE FORMAT THAT CAN BE UPLOADED!

*sorry for the all caps, but this is serz biz*

ALSO…Inquiry Two will start next week. If you’re the sort who likes to look ahead, feel free to read over the assignment sheet for it from the main course site.

If your forum account hasn’t been activated, email me before the end of class and I’ll check on it and get back to you ASAP.

Any questions about what’s going on? Any concerns?

Peer Reviewing Today we will peer review your projects for the first time as a class. Peer reviewing is a subtle art.

I mentioned this the first day of class, but I’m going to go back to it for a moment because I like comparisons. I hope all of you at least heard of/about American Idol before all the judges got shuffled. If not… I hope my explanations will assist in making my point.

NO CAN HAS

Reacting like the AI Judges…

… is sadly sort of typical of how we, in American culture, talk to each other about creative work. Taken as a whole, the Idol judges (at least the originals), sort of formed a “Popcultural Rhetorical Triangle of Wha?”

But individually, each falls to one of the three cardinal sins of peer response.

Simon Cowell: The JerkSadly for contestants on the show, Simon was often the most accurate of the judges. However he epitomized the spirit of the elitist, the uppity, snide, all-too-brash jerk.

You don’t want to offer comments to your fellow students that take on a harsh tone. This isn’t a put-down contest. It’s collaboration.

Randy Jackson: Cool Dude

Randy Jackson, meanwhile, had a much better sense of how to phrase his responses. Problem is, dawg, he’d just tell everyone that they “did their thing” and that they were, at least usually, “in the dawg house” which was good, and usually for a duration of time, such as “for life” or “for the night.” Randy rarely pointed out what could use improvement. He was very likable, but… what good is a friend who won’t help?

Paula Abdul: Pathos

Paula’s reactions were almost always emotionally charged. That can be decent, but the problem is that it usually led to either her gushing over a person (nice to hear, but not all that useful for improvement) or her talking about herself.

That’s not going to make us better writers. But I’ll be honest, it is nice to know when your writing touches someone, so don’t hold that back.

These two were also stereotypical. Tyler self-promoted, and J-Lo was a less emotional Paula. Plus Tyler was in Aerosmith. Never listen to someone from Aerosmith.

Instead, strive to…Peer review “do”s:1) Be a generous, careful reader. Take your time,

and make sure you really see/read/understand each word

2) Take a moment, as difficult as it might be, to imagine the paper is yours. React from that position, thinking about what YOU would do differently.

3) Tell the author what works for you. Be specific!4) When something doesn’t work, or you want

more information, be specific both about in what location and about what you’d like to see.

5) Don’t gush, but don’t attack. Have an even tone.

Helpful strategies:1) Ask the author his/her goals. Or in the case

of an assignment here, read the assignment sheet and rubric before commenting

2) Ask if the author wants you to look for specific sorts of weaknesses, or if there’s a particular part of the essay that the author really could use help with.

3) Remember, always, that it’s another person, but it’s another person who has to go turn this into a project that will be graded. Think about the sorts of comments you, yourself, would like to have to look over as you revise.

It’s also useful…1) To locate the thesis statement, even if it’s only

“implied” and not specifically stated.2) To think about the “voice” of the writer in the

essay. That is to say does each paragraph sound as if it belongs with the one before it, or are there places where the writer’s language choices and style start to change?

3) Remember that an essay has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion, and try to get a sense of how those three things are coming together for the author.

4) Note places where you might be confused; it will be good for the author to look back at those.

For today’s workshopI want you to do the following five things to your peer’s paper:

1) They should provide you with a question. Answer that question.

2) Look for the thesis statement. Is it clear, and does it truly predict the essay?

3) Check their focus: does the essay stay on topic?

4) Check to see if the voice is consistent throughout

5) Think of one thing you would change, if you had to go revise. Offer that, with your reasoning.

Let’s practice, as a group…

Using one of the two essays from CCM.

Let’s pick one, then I will provide you with the student question.

Now we do yours. Prompts again in the next

slide.Please break into groups

of no more than 4, no less than 3.

For today’s workshopI want you to do the following five things to your peer’s paper:

1) They should provide you with a question. Answer that question.

2) Look for the thesis statement. Is it clear, and does it truly predict the essay?

3) Check their focus: does the essay stay on topic?

4) Check to see if the voice is consistent throughout

5) Think of one thing you would change, if you had to go revise. Offer that, with your reasoning.

Homework

Read for class: Lessnar and Craig “Finding your way In” (online– under “resources” on Niihka) and Staples “Just Walk on By” (online--same)

Forum prompt: Respond to one post from the previous week (with actual comments—don’t just say “I agree” or something short) and invite a response from the original poster by asking a thoughtful question or two.